Sidney Crosby, throughout the NHL lockout, has generally toed the NHLPA's company line: State your desire to play as soon as possible, but acknowledge displeasure with the owners' offer. That hasn't changed, but the Pittsburgh Penguins' captain does say that he hopes neither side takes fans for granted.

“I hope not. I hope that nobody who’s making any decision or taking any stance will take our fans for granted. But there is a business side, and we all know that. We just want something that’s fair, and hopefully people can understand that," Crosby told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The league's 30 owners, seeking to cut players' salaries, locked out the NHLPA at midnight on Sept. 15. The season is scheduled to start on Oct. 11, but that's in serious danger. Negotiations are set to resume on Friday, but they won't include core economic issues like the revenue split.

Crosby also said he's craving competition—understandable for a player that's missed more games than he's played in the last two seasons because of concussion-related issues.

“Missing as much time as I did, I just want to get back to the speed and skill of the game," Crosby said. "Obviously, that takes games to get back, but I’ve done a lot more game-type scenarios, quickness work, things to make the transition a little easier.